Living in the Now

Sometimes we get caught up in the thick of thin things, we forget to live for the day we are in, and we take for granted the blessings God has given us. It's important to be ambitious and to work to improve our lives- but we can not afford to sacrifice what is happening in the here and now, for what is just a possibility tomorrow. Yes, we need to plan for the future. Yes, we need to make ourselves ready for the struggles yet to come. But we can not allow ourselves lose sight of the good we have now. We must show our gratitude to Him by living in the moment. 

What tale will we have to tell, at the end of our lives, if we don't make the time to be where we are and live for those blessed moments?

God gives us opportunities to make memories. He wants us to find joy. Sometimes it takes a little work, but what blessings we will receive when we look at the Father and tell him we did our best and learned from the trials He set before us. 

We must exhibit faith. Faith is a verb. It is not something that you posses once and are done with. We must show the Lord that we are devoted to His work. 

We must try our best to be His hands. But we can not do that if all we ever do is think about a moment that we do not live in.

 May you find strength in the Lord- in His timing.

May you nurture your faith and find peace in His works.

Let God bless you and comfort you.

Spring Lambs

One of the new animal species we are caring for this spring are Market Lambs.

We got two cross-breds for the littles to use as a 4H project this year.

The pictures below are from the first week or so that we got  the lambs.

They are sweet little things. I like sheep. There is such a peace about them.

 Rose and Sweetheart the day we brought them to the barn.

 

Rosie before her bath.

 after her bath

 

Freshly Shorn

 

 The next day. They are such sweet little market lambs.

August will be an interesting adventure for their precious caretakers.

Having taken care of these animals for almost a month now, it seems strange to think that we've never taken a project like this on before. It is interesting to watch and sit with them when they are calm. I have always had a soft spot for sheep, probably because they are mentioned so much in the Word, but now that we are keeping them I can't help but think how much I like the animals. They are skittish, excited, curious, frightened, and calm all at the same time. I think I would be very ok keeping and caring for this species of livestock for a very long time. They simply bring peace and balance.

Have you kept livestock before? What is your favorite species and why?

Contact Paper

Recently I got my own kitchen. 

However, It needs a little TLC before I will feel comfortable stocking it 

and cooking more than simple microwave meals. 

One of the first projects that needed to happen was putting contact paper down in the cupboards. 

The reason I chose contact paper is because it is easy to put down and it provides an easier surface to clean than the exposed surfaces of the wood. It also looks nicer than the plain dingy brown.

 

The first step is to remove the drawers you want to work on

 

Next clear them out and make sure there are no large pieces of debris, rocks, or food

 

Above show the materials I used to clean the draws. I found bleach works well to get them clean, then after they are dry pine sol is good to condition the surface.

 

Wipe down the surface and be sure to not leave any grime. 

Thoroughly  clean it and let it dry completely.

The next step is to measure out the contact paper. Every surface is different, so I suggest making the length about an inch longer than you need as it shrinks once it is applied, and it can always be cut.

Peal back the corner of the backing on the contact paper and slowly, carefully remove it.

Center the paper and lay it completely flat on the surface. Make sure to press it down from the center to the edges, to ensure that there are no air bubbles between the paper and the surface. Air bubbles or left over grime will cause it to peal so it is important that the surface is clean and the paper is secure.

To clean, you can use kitchen wipes, surface cleaner, and it is for the most part water tolerant. 

I hope that this short tutorial will help inspire you if you need ideas for improving a kitchen that you can't afford to renovate. The key to a smoothly running kitchen is clean and organized , not expensive or overly messy. Make sure items you use consistently are located in a practical location and always put away, washed, and in the same place after every use. Remember it's always easier to do a little work everyday than a lot of work in one sitting. A clean kitchen will also keep everyone in better spirits. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and a healthy heart is a happy heart!

May you see God's blessings today!

The Lost Art of Handsewing/ Embroidery

It feels as though many of the old art forms are starting to become more and more popular as the world becomes more and more gloomy. People are searching for cheap and beautiful methods to pass time and still be productive.
One of these amazing crafts is hand-sewing and embroidery. I posted a snowflake tutorial a while back, so let's look at some more year-round embroidery ideas.

My favorite technique is called Needle painting. The purpose is to use a variety of stitches to make the image you are portraying seem as real as possible. I still have a long way to go, but I will share my journey as I improve, as well as some helpful hints on techniques.
To start off, here are some of my favorite designs from over the last couple years.

 

beginning stages of a sunflower. 

This was a fun sampler I found online.

There are so many fantastic resources for patterns and techniques.

If you check out the hand-sewing section of the resources page blog, 

you will see some of my favorite links to instructional and inspirational sites.

I hope this has peaked your interest in hand sewing and embellishment!

Fun With Crayons

A couple of months ago, for a home school lesson my mom was doing with my younger siblings, we made new crayons out of old broken crayons.

If you are anything like my family, after a couple of coloring pages, there always seems to be a broken crayon or two. I thought it would be a tutorial, on how to reuse the broken crayons. This is one way to save a bit of money and can reuse the materials that you've already purchased.

Step 1: 

Gather all the broken pieces in the bottom of the crayon bucket.

 Strip them of their wrapping and sort them by color.

 

 Step 2: 

Preheat the oven to about 200F.

Line a muffin tin (any size we used a standard) with tinfoil. 

Leave enough foil to cover the edges so that the wax doesn't stick to the pan after you are done, 

and so that you can remove the new crayons once they are cool.

Place the broken crayons in the foil lining.

Step 3:

Place the tin in the oven and keep a close eye on it. 

The timing isn't always exact. 

Sometimes it can take five minutes sometimes ten, sometimes more.

You just want the wax to be completely melted. 

Don't let it boil because that will bring about air bubbles.

Step 4:

Once the wax is melted, let it to cool.

Don't touch the new crayons until it is completely set.

After the wax is solid again, remove the tinfoil.

These new crayons can be used as soon as they are solid. 

 I hope you found this helpful. It is truly a fun project to do with little kids.

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Holy Week and Good Friday

SO....This might be slightly late, but I finally finished it before the end of Holy week *GRIN*

In most Judea-Christian the week of Passover is recognized as a special week. It is a week of celebration and gratitude to the Most High for "passing over" the homes of the faithful and sparing the sons of those who followed Jehovah during the time of Moses. Such was a symbol to the Children of Israel that God would send His first-born Son to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world.

Exodus 12:
     "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, this month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house...your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: and shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assemble of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it...for I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgement: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations..."

This passage in Exodus explains the event of the Passover and the establishment of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

It was during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that Christ Jesus came to Jerusalem.

We read in Luke 19:
"And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And if came to pass, when he was  come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them. Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen' Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: Peace in heaven. and glory in the highest."


It was this event that marked the fulfillment of the Prophecy: The Son of God rode through the Gates of Jerusalem. This is the event that we celebrate on Palm Sunday, one week before the celebration of His resurrection.

The same week that God's Mercy in the passover is celebrated, so do we celebrate His redemption for His people.

Today we remember the Passion and Crucifixion of our Savior. He established the blessing of the Sacrament(Communion), was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and sold for a price less than that of a slave.

Matthew 26:
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests. And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him."

He prayed and bled in the Garden, taking our sins as His own. He was sold at taken to Caiaphas, the priest, then brought before Pilate, and crucified in the place of Barabbas. He was then set on the cross between the murderer and the thief. He was mocked, scorned, and bathed in vinegar.

Luke 23:
"And when they were come to the place that was called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the male factors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying He saved others; let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

But even in His last moments, Christ forgave the murderer who was contrite and broken. He granted him peace and eternal life.

 Luke 23:
"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

And then, as He said, it was done.

Luke 23:
"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.  And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying Certainly this was a righteous man."

It is today that we commemorate His death. We give praise and thanks to our Savior for His sacrifice and His Atonement for our sins.

However, it is not in his death that we celebrate. It is in His Life.
Through Him we have forgiveness, mercy, charity, and the opportunity to be pure.
However, only through Him breaking the bonds of death, and rising again the third day, can we truly have cause for celebration. In mortality He died, in Exaltation He rose again and fulfilled His promise for us to all have eternal life and Salvation in Heaven.


May you remember Him in your thoughts- not just this weekend, but everyday. Remember His miracles, He blessings, His sacrifice, and His Life. We have a living God. And through Him all things just and righteous are made possible. Only through Him can all men be made free.

God Bless you.

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Spring Time- Life on the Farm

Spring here in Oregon is absolutely GORGEOUS! Even when it rains, you can just smell the freshness of the Earth. Below are some pictures of what spring has brought us this year.

 The above picture is of bantam chicks. They are still very young and will remain smaller their entire lives. We weren't sure of the breed but will find out in a couple of weeks. The bantam breeds are easier to hold in one hand and if brought up with care, they make fantastic show birds! They are easier to use in showmanship classes for smaller children whose hands are too tiny to hold the larger APA breeds.

 The chicks above are, APA-Standard Bred, Americanas, Sussex, Barred Rocks, and an Astrolope. These birds have reached their "awkward teen weeks" and have already molted. The coloring on some of these birds is absolutely gorgeous. My favorite breed is Americana because they are docile, easy to handle, show well, and they lay green eggs!

 

 

 Kitten like watching what is going on in the arena...horse likes keeping an eye on that kitten...

 

The beautiful Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia Soulangeana)

Seeing all these marvelous creations reminds me of the Glory of God. He is always good and has given us a beautiful world to live in. When things get tough, remember our God is Mighty. He knows our struggles and knows what we need to make it through. Keep your head held high, and a prayer in your heart. Give Him your worries and He will help you see the beauty in life.

Hope you enjoy these pics and are having a lovely day!

May you have a lovely day.

God Bless!

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Scripture of the Day (KJV):

Psalm 9

"I will Praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; 

I will shew forth all they marvellous works.

I will be glad and rejoice in thee: 

I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

When mine enemies are turned back, 

they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

For thou hast maintained my right and my cause;

thou satest in the throne judging right.

Thou has rebuked the heathen,

thou hast destroyed the wicked,

thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

O thou enemy, destructions come to a perpetual end:

and thou hast destroyed cities;

their memorial is perished with them.

But the Lord shall endure forever: 

he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

and he shall judge the world in righteousness, 

he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:

for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: 

declare among the people his doings.

When he maketh inquisition fo blood, he remembereth them:

he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord;

consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, 

thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion:

I will rejoice in thy salvation.

The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made:

in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth:

the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

 The wicked shall be turned into hell, 

and all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten: 

the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

Arise, O Lord;

let not man prevail:

let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

Put them in fear, O Lord;

that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

Selah."

May you see the Glory of God in your life today.